Rata Syndicate Newsletter TERM 1, 2016

Kia Ora Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back everyone! We hope you all had a fantastic break and are ready for Term 1.

This term we are welcoming two new students, Zain and Y’zarye and their families to Room 17.   Bronwyn Nicholas has joined our team this year. She has a passion for working with our students due to her involvement with Conductive Education over the years.  Bronwyn has extensive knowledge of the curriculum and will be a huge asset to Rata syndicate.

Some important events in Term 1 (11 Weeks) Easter break included:

·         Week 2                     - 8 February         -Waitangi  day observed (NO School)

                                      

·         Week 7/8                  - IEP’s (possibly Mondays and Tuesdays )

·         Week 8/9                  - Easter break from 25 March -29 March (No School)          

                                       -31 March Class photos

·         Week 11                     - 15 April       - Last day of Term 1 (finish 2. 45pm)

Stationary Lists: We will provide stationary lists to parents in week 1 of Term 1.

Library Time: Our class will be visiting the library on Monday.  For your child to be issued with a book they need to bring back their previous book and have their book bag with them.

The Learning Focus:  Our Big Learning area of study for this Term will be Science.

The topic is called “OUR MAGICAL WATER” We will be learning about the water cycle and why water is so important.  Included in our learning will be ways that we can positively contribute to water conservation in our home, at school and in our community. 

There may be homework research tasks to support this learning.  We will let you know areas where you can help during the term. Students will also be participating in other Big Learning topics in their mainstream class and will also complete Big Learning activities there.

IEP’s and meetings:

This term we will organise an IEP for all students.  These will be an opportunity to set new goals as well as build on those goals previously set.  The meetings will take place during weeks 7 and 8.  This will enable us to carry out some assessments with your child prior to meeting with you.  The meetings as per usual will involve parents, teachers and therapists. We will discuss possible meeting times closer to week 7 and 8 so it is suitable for everybody.

Assessment/portfolios:

We will assess your child’s knowledge’s before the IEP’s, using the Expanded Curriculum Framework and/or the National Curriculum. We will present short learning stories and samples in their portfolios so you can see your child’s work habits and some enjoyable moments during their day. These will be sent home in Term 2 and 4.  You will also receive a copy of your child’s IEP in Term 1 and 3.

 If you have any concerns about your child’s development in any areas please talk with us.

Homework:

The learning experiences of our students are very important to us. Thank you to those families who made a contribution to your child’s learning through discussion and extra sharing at home. They learn so much from this and enjoy bringing these ideas back to school to share with the rest of our students and staff members. Please feel free to discuss with us what works best for homework for your child.

                                 Personal/Medical Details:

Personal details:

Please let us know if there has been any change in your personal contact details e.g. new mobile phone numbers or the times of medical appointments for your child. It is important that we have up-to-date information in case we need to urgently contact you regarding any issue concerning your child during school time.

Change in the medication routine 

Please let us know if you have made any changes to your child’s medication e.g. when your child has seizures or needs pain relief and any extra care.

Health checks

We also would like to ask you for a copy of any new orthotics, visual or hearing reports to help us plan your child’s future development.

Sick students:

We ask that you DO NOT send your child to school when he/she is unwell, as this might result in the infection of other students and staff members in the Unit. It also goes without saying that a child who is unwell will not be able to concentrate on tasks or enjoy school activities. If your child comes to school and is unwell, you will be contacted and asked to come and take your child home.          

Please Remember to Bring:

Tissues:

Once again, we would like to ask you to join our staff members in donating a box of tissues to the Unit each term.

Clothing:

Please ensure your child has some extra clothes and a SUN HAT in their bag so we can still go outside. Please keep a spare set of clothes in your child’s bag in case of any accidents.

We are looking forwards to working together with you and your child throughout the year.

The RATA syndicate:

Bronwyn and Livia